


The Labyrinth | Maze Runner

by laughingstock (Laughingstock_16)



Series: Gemini [2]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: And all that jazz, Asexual main character, Gen, aromantic main character, brotps with everyone yay, kinda clumsy too, med-jack, oc is relatable, she's got no time for romance, too busy taking care of the gladers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25684987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laughingstock_16/pseuds/laughingstock
Summary: For three years, Cassie has lived in the Glade as the only girl. For three years, there was peace. Until Thomas comes up in the Box. Then, everything becomes chaos.----------Mostly compatible with the Maze Runner movie, some elements of the book are used----------Cover by laughingstock
Series: Gemini [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862578
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. Cast

**Author's Note:**

> Although The Maze Runner belongs to James Dashner, Cassie's character belongs to me. I do not own the photographs unless explicitly stated. Additionally, while the names of Jeff and Clint belong to James Dashner, their personalities and most of their dialogue belongs to me. The same goes for the WatchTower and Medbay. The cover is also created by me. Please message me if you wish to use these characters.

[Shelley Hennig as Cassie](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/0b/76/9f0b76b7f83e38289d6807a1da986b5d.gif)

_"If a caterpillar and Edward Scissorhands had a baby, it would look like that."_

_\---------_

[Dylan O'Brien as Thomas](https://em.wattpad.com/c233a479dde5e96bf22ed7f9e309b41fc6fba76f/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f717034684d5271694e634d59773d3d2d3532393431363631332e313530663030383730626535386531623731363738343631303031332e676966?s=fit&w=720&h=720)

_"I want to be a Runner."_

\----------

[Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt](https://media.tenor.com/images/cec3235702b0bc18dbfcbbf7dde38101/tenor.gif)

_"Great, we're all bloody inspired."_

\----------

[Ki Hong Lee as Minho](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/e8/97/bce8973fe699a0ee1a6874f89bed540d.gif)

_"Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it."_

\---------

[Kaya Scodelario as Teresa](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AggressiveFrenchDuck-max-1mb.gif)

_"What if we were sent here for a reason?_

\----------

[Blake Cooper as Chuck](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/HatefulNegativeDinosaur-size_restricted.gif)

_"I can't believe you only have to be a Greenie for one day, klunk-head."_

\----------

[Will Poulter as Gally](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FrequentIlliterateAuk-size_restricted.gif)

_"The rules are the only thing that have held us together."_

\----------

[Dexter Darden as Frypan](https://66.media.tumblr.com/abee6cb9a37159ca19e684fafdd43270/tumblr_nww8lz6uAT1t0zn12o1_250.gif)

_"I think there's something in there..."_

_"You mean besides a Griever pancake?_

\----------

[Aml Ameen as Alby](https://i.gifer.com/Ht28.gif)

_"If you ain't scared, you ain't human."_

\----------

[Jacob Latimore as Jeff](https://38.media.tumblr.com/77031c04cf6ddeaee4e50a68a434b20a/tumblr_nga6zmVWxm1ts06fco1_500.gif)

_"C'mon, man, I'm not a magic healer. Just slap a bandage or something on it."_

\----------

[Gregg Sulkin as Clint](https://66.media.tumblr.com/7aac76e59e498ef8834e3d10d727d532/tumblr_inline_p9ia0hkv271sguph5_540.gif)

_"I think you guys are forgetting the fact that I'm not a real doctor."_


	2. (1)

“Winston, you absolute klunk-head,” Cassie says as the boy walks into the homestead, grimacing in pain and cradling his hand to his chest. “That’s the third time in two weeks. If you keep this up, I’m gonna have to report you to Alby, and you’ll be stuck as a slopper for the rest of your life.” She grabs a roll of bandages and makes her way towards him. “How did this happen?” She demands.

“Frankie forgot to close the gate. A chicken bit me.” He opens his hand and shows off his bloody palm. Cassie sighs.

“Okay, well if it’s a chicken bite, then you’ll probably need some antiseptic.” Winston’s eyes widen in horror. “Hey Jeff! Antiseptic, please!” She calls out. A bottle sails through the Homestead and Cassie nabs it out of the air. “Yes! That’s one point for you and me, Jeff! Let’s get you situated.” She leads Winston to the cots. Cassie takes a piece of gauze and douses it in the alcohol. She rubs it as gently as she can along the bite mark, muttering apologies as the boy winces. The girl wraps it up skillfully with the bandage roll. “Oh. We’re running low on antiseptic.” She notices. “Winston, can you stop by the Box and ask the Creators?” She questions as she writes a note.

“No problem. I’ll try not to injure myself anymore.” He exits the Homestead with a smile. Cassie walks over to where Clint, the Keeper of the Med-jacks.

“Hey, since it’s kinda slow, I was gonna head over to the Kitchens for a snack-- is that okay?” Cassie asks.

“Yeah, sure. Just make sure you come back, okay? No hour-long trips like _Jeff over here_.” He yells the last part of the sentence. Cassie snickers.

“That was _one_ time!” Jeff shouts back from the other side of the Homestead. “I was helping Fry make cookies!” Clint dismisses it with a wave of his hand, and opens his mouth to say something. Before he can get a word out, a deep, blaring sound resonates across the whole glade. 

“Greenie day,” The two Med-jacks exclaim at the same time. “Well, I guess my snack will have to wait.” Cassie says in fake disappointment. Clint laughs as they make their way toward the Box, the nasal sounds echoing. Fifty other boys varying in age flood the area around the Box. Jeff pops up and taps her on the shoulder.

“I’ll bet you my cookie for dinner that this one is gonna make it five feet.” He says. Cassie frowns.

“Nah, I’ll bet he gets farther than that.” 

“Guys we don’t even know what he looks like,” Clint barges in. Cassie and Jeff shush him simultaneously. The metal cover creaks open, revealing the Box.

“Open it up,” Alby commands, and Gladers on either side of the contraption lift the grates. The boy inside looks disoriented, hand coming up to block the sun. Gally jumps into the Box, making it shake.

“Day one, Greenie. Rise and shine.” The boy flinches and instinctively moves backwards, but is no match for Gally. He lifts him up and tosses him onto the grass like a sack of potatoes. Immediately, the Gladers swarm around him. Some laugh.

“He looks like a slopper to me,” One says.

“I could use some help in the Kitchens,” Frypan laughs. The Greenie panics and quickly gets to his feet, and bolts toward the Homestead.

“Hey, we got a Runner!” Zart calls out.

“Fall, fall, fall!” Jeff mutters. Cassie punches him in the arm. He makes it about thirty feet, then tumbles to the ground, rolling and landing in the soft grass. The Gladers cheer.

“I expect payment at dinner.” Cassie says smugly. Jeff groans and shakes his head. “Huh,” She continues. “Looks like the Greenie’s discovered the Maze.” She tilts her head and has an amused look on her face. The newbie looks around the Glade, taking in all the details with a look of confusion. Alby catches up to him easily, and speaks to him.

“Alright, alright. The excitement is over.” Newt says loudly. “Everyone back to your jobs, can’t be wasting our time ogling the Greenie all day.” The Gladers start to protest, but Newt shushes them all. “Go on, if you all do your work we can start the Bonfire early tonight.” The protests turn to cheers

* * *

Cassie and Jeff peek out from the window of the Homestead. 

“Hey Clint! Come check this out-- the Greenbean looks like he’s about to go into the Maze!” She calls out. 

“Hmm?” Clint pops his head in the doorway. Gally appears out of nowhere and shoves him to the ground. The boy flies back several feet before landing on the hard ground. The Med-jacks wince. “Yeah… we should probably go help him.” He says. They run out in front of the open doors.

“Woah, woah, take it easy.” Clint reaches a hand out towards him.

“Just relax,” Gally butts in.

“What the _hell_ is wrong with you guys?” The Greenie says as he gets up.

“Just calm down, all right?” Alby says in a soothing voice.

“No, okay? Why won’t you tell me what’s out there?” The boy demands.

“We’re just trying to protect you.” Cassie says.

“It’s for your own good.” Newt adds.

“We can’t let you leave.” Alby uses his leader-voice.

“Why _not_?” The newbie says, agitated. Something inside the Maze growls as the wind picks up. The Gladers shield their eyes but the Greenie looks directly into the labyrinth, unafraid. “What the hell?” He murmurs. The doors groan as they start slowly shutting. The gears creak and the doors slam shut, the sound echoing across the Glade.

“Next time I’m gonna let you leave.” Gally glares at the Greenbean, who is still staring at the now closed doors.

“Welcome to the Glade.” Alby says in the boy’s ear and walks away, the Gladers following him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know that the Greenie usually arrives 30 minutes after the horn goes off, but for the sake of moving things along, I changed it. (And yes, Clint and Jeff are actually canon. However, I don't think Clint was in the movie enough to be credited, so I just used Gregg Sulkin as a faceclaim.)
> 
> Also, when Thomas first comes up in the Box, keep in mind that Cassie's already been there for 3 years. I'm currently writing a backstory for her, which takes place during the Fever Code.


	3. (2)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it. (Also, here's the [bonfire gif](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FatherlyEnergeticDavidstiger-size_restricted.gif).)

* * *

Alby hands all the Keepers large spears, which they set on fire.

“Light ‘em up!” He shouts. All at once, the Keepers launch their spears into the pyre. With the fire blazing, the Gladers clap and whistle. Some of the builders pound their homemade drums, making a steady beat and hyping up the teenagers.

“Here.” Jeff says, grumpily as he plops down next to her. He hands Cassie her cookie and a glass of Gally’s famous drink.

“Awww, thanks, Jeff! You’re so generous!” Cassie says while munching on the cookie happily. Around them, the boys are clinking glasses and yelling over each other. Jeff mutters something unintelligibly, then stands up.

“C’mon, let’s go and see what Gally and his idiot friends are up to.” They make their way over to where Gally is challenging any and every person he can to wrestle. The crowd “ooh’s” as yet another boy is tackled to the sand. More drinks are handed out. “You know we’re probably going to have a busy day tomorrow, might as well enjoy it, know what I mean?” Jeff yells over the noise. Clint shows up next to the two Med-jacks.

“Okay, shanks. Have fun but don’t drink too much. Can’t have an injured Med-jack now can we?” He pats them both on the shoulders. Jeff wrinkles his nose in distaste and Cassie laughs.

“--and we’ve got the three Med-jacks, Clint, Jeff, and Cassie. They spend most of their time bandaging up the Slicers, but everyone goes to them at some point.” Newt says. 

“Hey, Newt.” Jeff says.

“What’s up?” Clint adds. Cassie waves at them. The Greenie nods at Clint and Jeff and stops and furrows his eyebrows at her.

“You know what? I just noticed-- where are all the girls? You’re like the only one I’ve seen so far.” Cassie shrugs.

“Beats me. I’m the only girl. It’s fine though. I mean sure, I would love to have another girl around, but you can’t have everything, right?” She smiles softly. The boy nods slowly.

“Alright, I’ve gotta introduce the Greenie here to all the other Keepers, we’ll talk later.” Newt drags the boy along. Not thirty seconds go by when the Greenbean gets shoved into Gally’s circle.

“Oh my god,” Cassie smacks her forehead with her palm.

“What d’you say, Greenie? Wanna see what you’re made of?” Gally taunts. Someone starts a chant.

“Greenie, Greenie, Greenie--” It gets louder and faster as the whole Glade joins in. The chants dissolve into cheers and whistles as the boy doesn’t back out.

“Alright-- the rules are simple, Greenie.” Gally says as he adjusts his wrist guard. “I try to push you out of the circle, you try and last more than five seconds.” He says with a smirk. The gladers laugh. “Ready?” Before the poor boy can answer, Gally shoves him into the sand. Cassie winces as he face-plants. “C’mon, Greenie. We’re not done yet.” Gally backpedals. The other boy stands up shakily and adjusts his shirt

“Stop calling me Greenie.” He says calmly.

“What do you want to be called, then? Shank?” The crowd cheers. “What do you think, boys?” Cassie rolls her eyes. “Does he look like a shank--” The smaller boy shoulders him in the gut without warning. Gally easily catches him then flips him so he tumbles into the sand. The Greenie coughs and tries to stand back up.

“That’s gonna hurt in the morning,” Jeff whispers to Cassie. She takes a swig of her drink.

“You know what? I think I’m settled on ‘shank’.” The dark haired boy rams into Gally and finally seems like he has a good grip on him. He shoves Gally into the sand for the first time.

“Yeah, Greenbean!” Clint shouts.

“Not bad for a Greenie, huh?” He taunts. Gally quickly sweeps his feet from under him with a nicely placed kick and he hits the ground with a grunt. He lays there for a few seconds, then his eyes widen.

“Thomas,” He says softly at first. He quickly scrambles to his feet, then says louder, “Thomas!” He grins. “I remember! My name-- I’m Thomas!” The Gladers seem confused for a few seconds and then start cheering and patting him on the back.

“Welcome home, Thomas.” Frypan smiles and hands him a glass of Gally’s drink. He takes a sip of it and spews it in the air.

“Good job… Thomas,” Gally pats his shoulder. Suddenly, a roar pierces the air. The Gladers fall silent.

“What the hell was that?” Thomas asks softly.

“That, my friend, was a Griever.” Gally says casually, clearly enjoying the younger boy’s fear.

“Don’t worry,” Cassie says quickly. “You’re safe here with us.” Gally nods.

“Nothing gets through those walls.” With that comment, the older boy leaves.

“Alright guys,” Alby interrupts the grim silence. “Let’s tuck it in for the night.”

“Nice job, Thomas.” Cassie tries to diffuse the tension.

“Yeah, good job,” Someone else adds half-heartedly. Cassie walks toward the Homestead a little more quickly that night.


	4. (3)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

Cassie’s eyes flutter open. Light is streaming through the window, so it’s probably about 7:00. _Yikes. That’s a late start._ She thinks. She’s on her cot in the Med-bay of the Homestead. She rubs her eyes and sits up. Her head is slightly pulsing-- nothing too bad. On another cot, Jeff groans.

“My head,” He whimpers.

“It’s your own fault. Clint told us not to drink too much.” She retorts. Jeff weakly throws a roll of bandages. It lands at her feet. “Hey! Do that again and I’m not gonna get you the pain meds.”

“Sorry,” Jeff mutters half-heartedly. Cassie rolls her eyes and walks over to the medicine cabinet and grabs a syringe full of bright blue liquid. She makes her way to where Jeff is lying down, still moaning and clutching his head.

“Oh, sit up, you big baby,” She grabs him by the shoulders and leans him against the wall as gently as she can. He tries to grab the syringe and Cassie swats his hand away. “Don’t even think about it. You’re hungover and this is a needle.” She snaps as she injects the blue stuff into his upper arm. Almost immediately, his face relaxes.

“Ahh, that’s better.” He sighs and stands up. He brushes the dirt off his pants. “Right, then. Let’s go find Clint--” He gets cut off by a distant scream. The two Med-jacks frown and look at each other. “What the shuck? Did you hear that?” The scream comes again. Cassie’s eyes widen.

“We better go. Clint! Someone need’s help, let’s go!” They burst through the door of the Homestead, Clint right behind them. Just then, Thomas bursts through the Deadheads, screaming and flailing his arms.

“Oh, that little slinthead,” Clint mutters. “What the hell does he think he’s doing?” He shakes his head.

“Hold on,” Cassie interrupts. “He’s being chased. Oh my god he’s being chased!” She dashes towards Thomas, who is tackled to the ground by Ben. Thomas wriggles around, trying to get Ben away from his face. Every Glader rushes towards them and Newt smashes his shovel against Ben’s face.

“Hold him down!” He barks. Cassie surges forward, grabs his arm, and pins it to the grass.

“What the hell? Calm the shuck down, Ben!” She puts more pressure on his arm. He protests, squirming around.

“He just attacked me!” Thomas pants. Alby steps forward. He frowns.

“Lift his shirt up.” He commands. Jeff obeys. The Gladers gasp. There, on his stomach, is a black veiny mess.

“No, no, please!” Ben gasps.

“He’s been stung.” Alby says in disbelief.

“In the middle of the day?” Gally reponds, eyebrows furrowing. Ben starts whimpering.

“Put him in the Pit.” Alby orders, and Ben starts kicking around like a toddler throwing a tantrum. He strains against the Gladers holding him. Cassie loses her grip and gets whacked in the cheek by a flailing limb. She hisses in pain and catches his arm again, forcing it behind his back.

“Walk,” She says through gritted teeth.

“He did this! It was his fault! Don’t trust him! He’s one of them!” He roars the whole way to the Pit. They toss him inside and slam the wood gate shut.

* * *

“That’s a nasty bruise you’ve got there, Cassie.” Newt says as they walk towards the Homestead. She reaches a hand up to her cheek. It’s tender and she winces.

“I don’t get it. How did Ben get stung? And did you hear what he said about Thomas?” Newt frowns. “He saids something about it being his fault and to not trust him.” Cassie meets his eyes. “It doesn’t make sense.” Newt purses his lips and exhales.

“We’re gonna have to Banish Ben today.” Cassie gasps. She didn’t know Ben that well, but a Banishment? 

“That’s a little extreme, don’t you think?”

“He broke our second rule multiple times.” He gestures to Cassie’s cheek.

“I mean, it doesn’t hurt that much.” Cassie tries.

“Not the point. He hurt you and Thomas, which is against the rules. No hurting another Glader, right?” Cassie frowns and nods slowly.

“Get some rest. Banishment’s at sundown.” Newt says as he limps away.

* * *

Minho brings over a whimpering Ben to the opening of the Maze. He shoves him down onto his knees and slices the ropes binding his hands together.

“Please, just listen to me! Minho, Alby, listen!” He begs. Thomas comes jogging up to the group. 

“Cassie, what the hell’s going on? What is this?” He whispers.

“This is a Banishing. It’s what happens when you break a rule.” She says without emotion. Thomas’s eyes widen. “So Alby explained the rules to you but didn’t say what would happen if you broke one? Typical.” She adds drily. Ben starts crying, the sobs racking his body. The Doors start creaking. Alby nods once to Minho, who tosses a bag of meat into the Maze as bait for the Grievers. The wind picks up.

“Poles!” Alby commands, and the Keepers lower their long sticks to act as a cage around Ben.

“You don’t want to see this, Chuck. Go back to the Homestead, okay? Go on.” Cassie nudges the small boy. He runs away.

“Move in!” Alby continues. Ben starts looking for a way out. His eyes, once brown, are now an inky black. He tries to escape, but the poles are no match for him. As the Doors start closing, The Keepers push him into the Maze. He gasps and pleads for forgiveness, but no one listens. Thomas watches with horror as the Maze accepts its offering. Ben lets out one final bloodcurdling scream as the Maze shuts completely. The Gladers breathe heavily, mourning the loss of yet another boy. Alby looks around, making eye contact with everyone.

“He belongs to the Maze now,” He says grimly.

“Come on, Thomas,” Cassie says softly as she leads him back to the Homestead.


	5. (4)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

“Morning, Clint,” Cassie yawns as she walks by him.

“Hey, Cassie,” He stops organizing the medicine cabinet. “Oh that reminds me-- Newt told me that Alby’s runnin’ the Maze today, so he’s gonna need your help to y’know, keep order and stuff.”

“Got it. Why Alby though?” She tilts her head to the side.

“I dunno. Something about retracing Ben’s footsteps. See you at lunch?” The corner of her mouth quirks.

“If Newt lets me go by then. You know how he is.” Clint smiles, shakes his head, and resumes stacking the medicine.

* * *

“--Look, are you gonna help?” Newt snaps at the Greenbean as Cassie walks up to the scene.

“So he’s just gonna go where Ben was stung--” Thomas starts.

“Alby knows what he’s doing, alright?” Newt interrupts. “He knows better than any of us.”

“Hi, Cassie,” Chuck says quietly as Newt and Thomas argue.

“Hey, buddy!” She ruffles his hair. “What’cha making there?” She gestures at the small figure Chuck is whittling. He smiles.

“It’s a boy. He has two parents and a sister. And he has a giant bed and takes as many showers as he wants to.” Chuck says dreamily. Cassie smiles sadly.

“Listen-- when we get out, you can have all that, okay?” Chuck grins.

“Oi, Cass!” Newt says loudly. “Quit yappin’ about and help us! This tree’s not gonna chop itself.” Cassie rolls her eyes and holds out her hand for the machete. Newt hands it over. 

“Thomas, Zart,” She says in greeting as she nods to the boys as she begins to hack at the base of the tree. Thomas stops and glances at the Doors to the Maze. Cassie notices his uneasiness. “Don’t worry, Thomas. Alby and Minho will be back by lunch.” She says with a reassuring smile. Thomas tears his gaze away from the Maze and starts chopping at the tree.

* * *

“Oh, look! It’s my favorite Glader who’s a girl!” Frypan declares as he scoops some of his famous stew into her metal bowl. Cassie furrows her eyebrows but the corner of her mouth slides upwards in a knowing smile.

“Fry, I’m the _only_ Glader who’s a girl.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Okay, well, I can’t go around telling everyone they’re my favorite. Next!” He dismisses her. Cassie rolls her eyes and heads for the shelters. A booming noise echoes throughout the Glade and droplets of rain shower the Gladers. The girl walks quickly, careful to not spill any of her minimal lunch. Once she gets under the roof, she scoops some of the hot stew into her mouth, savoring the taste. Once she quickly devours the rest, she puts her plate and spoon in one of the stacks and walks over to Newt and Thomas.

“Are they not back yet?” She asks anxiously. Newt bites the inside of his cheek and shakes his head, his eyes glued to the Doors.

“What happens if they don’t make it?” He asks as he looks back at Newt, who crosses his arms.

“They’re gonna make it.” Newt says confidently. Thomas gets closer to Newt, then asks again.

“What happens if they don’t?” He says quietly.

“They’re gonna make it.” Newt replies, as if he were trying to convince himself.

* * *

Once the rain stops, the Gladers all go to the Doors to greet Minho and Alby when they come back. Cassie’s boots squelch in the mud as she shifts from foot to foot.

“Stop it, it’s getting on my nerves.” Jeff hisses at her.

“Sorry, it’s just-- I have this really bad feeling.” Cassie apologizes. The Doors creak, signaling the end of the day.

“Look, guys, can’t we send someone after them?” Thomas asks impatiently.

“It’s against the rules.” Gally stares straight ahead. “Either they make it back or they don’t.”

“We can’t risk losing anyone else.” Newt says grimly. The wind picks up as the Doors start to close.

“No,” Cassie says softly. “This can’t be happening.”

“There!” Thomas exclaims and points into the Maze. A figure turns the corner and stumbles towards the Gladers.

“Wait, there’s something wrong.” Newt says shakily. Cassie feels like she can hear her heartbeat. _Boom. Boom. Boom_. The gladers start yelling, encouraging Minho to go faster.

“C’mon, Minho!” The girl gets out. Minho stumbles and drops Alby. He bends down, grabs alby by the arms, and starts dragging him. The doors don’t slow down.

“Minho, you gotta leave him!” Gally shouts. Through the midst of the chaos, Newt stays quiet.

“They’re not gonna make it.” He realizes. Then, time seems to slow down. Thomas’s eyes dart around and he makes a mad dash for the Maze. Cassie and Newt reach out, barely brushing his shirt, but Thomas is too fast.

“Thomas, _no_!” Cassie chokes out, and the Doors shut with a deafening slam. The Gladers fall silent and the only sounds are heavy breathing. “They’re gone,” She says in disbelief, breaking the silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Ella here. Sorry for the boring beginning-- I had to add some kind of bonding between Cassie and Chuck because they haven’t spoken yet. I’m also thinking of starting another book following the Fever Code and Cassie’s beginning in the Glade. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> On another note, I actually used a deleted scene from the movie for parts of this chapter. The clip is called “Nervous Lunch (Maze Runner Deleted Scene)” and you can find it on Youtube.


	6. Chapter 6

Cassie tosses and turns in her cot, her mind racing. She can’t seem to accept the fact that Alby, Minho, and Thomas are dead. The girl stands up and carefully makes her way out of the Medbay, moving lightly to avoid the creaky floorboards. She exits the Homestead and walks toward the WatchTower. Cassie climbs the ladder, enjoying the cool night breeze and sees a figure already sitting there.

“Can’t sleep?” She says quietly. Newt turns to face her. He looks miserable. His hair is disheveled and his eyes are rimmed in dark circles. He shakes his head and pats the area next to him. Cassie sits, her legs dangling on the edge. The two Gladers sit in silence for a minute before Newt speaks.

“Did I ever tell you how I broke my leg?” Newt asks. Cassie blinks. She wasn’t expecting that question.

“I-- um, well, Minho told me you fell. Didn’t give any details, though.” She says. Newt laughs humorlessly.

“Well, he’s not wrong. Not a lot of Gladers know this, but the first of us-- Minho, Gally, Alby, and me-- we didn’t come up in the Box.” He breathes in deeply and lets it out slowly. “But we woke up in the Glade without our memories, like everyone else. The other guys were fine after a few days; they were even laughing and smiling. But I couldn’t get used to my memories being gone. There was something _missing_ , y’know? One day, I just got so frustrated and I decided that I was done. I woke up early, went into the Maze, climbed up the highest tower, and I jumped off.” Newt pauses, takes a shaky breath, and starts again. “Broke my leg in three places. Minho found me and carried me all the way back to the Homestead. I can’t lose him, Cassie. If he dies, I don’t-- I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” His voice breaks and he looks away, tears streaming down his face. Cassie wraps her arms around him and he leans his head on her shoulder.

“Shh, it’s okay, Newt. It’s okay,” She whispers as she rubs his back, and he starts shaking with silent sobs. Eventually, Newt’s crying stops, and he falls asleep. Cassie rakes her hand through his messy hair and feels her eyes droop.

* * *

Cassie feels a heavy weight on her shoulder. Her eyes flutter open and she’s greeted by the sun frying her retinas. She squints and puts her hand up to shield her eyes. A person on her right groans and shifts. And then she remembers the conversation with Newt last night. He lifts his head from her shoulder and yawns.

“Thanks for… you know, listening.” He says, sounding drained. The girl offers a quick smile. 

“Newt?” He looks at her. “Just know that if you ever need anything, anything at all, I’ll be there, okay?” She says softly. He nods.

* * *

“Told you, Chuck,” Gally says at the Doors. “They’re not coming back.” He turns and leaves, the Gladers following him. Cassie grips his shoulder.

“C’mon, Chuck. Let’s get you some breakfast, yeah?” She turns and looks back at the Maze, one last time and her mouth drops open. “No _way_.”

“Yeah!” Chuck yells, fist punching the air. There, turning the corner, were three figures. Minho and Thomas carry an unconscious Alby in between them. The Gladers rush forward and grab Alby, gently lowering him to the ground.

“Easy, easy! He’s hurt. Jeff, go grab the stretcher. And hurry up!” Clint barks. The boys start interrogating Minho and Thomas, bombarding them with questions.

“What happened out there?”

“How’d you guys make it out?”

“You saw a Griever?” Chuck asks.

“Yeah, I saw one,” Thomas pants.

“He didn’t just see it,” Minho says, also breathing heavily. “He killed it.” Jeff comes back, lugging a cot with the legs chopped off. He drops it on the ground.

“Jeff, you grab his legs. I’ll get his arms.” Clint says. They lift him onto the stretcher and pick it up. “Cassie, go and get the Medbay ready. And Chuck, get Minho and Thomas some water.” He orders.

* * *

“Look, I’m not a magic healer. Just slap a bandage on it or something.” Jeff says. The three Med-jacks stare at Alby’s unconscious body. Cassie looks at him with an _Are you serious?_ Face.

“Pretty sure that’s not how it works, Jeff. Y’know, sometimes I wonder how the _shuck_ you became a Med-jack.” The girl says. Clint sighs.

“I’m gonna have to stay here and watch Alby around the clock. Cassie, you’re going to have to represent me as a Keeper in the Gathering, okay?” The girl nods.

“I’d better go, then.”

* * *

“Things are changing.” Gally says importantly. “There’s no denying that. First Ben gets stung in broad daylight, then Alby.” He takes a deep breath. “And now our Greenie here has taken it upon himself to go into the Maze, which is a clear violation of our rules here.” Gally glares at everyone, daring them to say anything.

“Yeah, but he saved Alby’s life.” Frypan speaks up. Gally tilts his head.

“Did he?” He narrows his eyes. “For three years, we have coexisted with these things.” Cassie scoffs.

“I wouldn’t say that,” She mutters. Gally continues.

“And now,” He points an accusing finger at Thomas. “You’ve killed one of them. Who knows what that could mean for us?”

“Well, what d’you suggest we do?” Newt raises an eyebrow. Gally pauses and thinks for a second.

“He has to be punished.” Immediately, the Gladers start protesting.

“Minho,” Newt says loudly. The protests die down. “You were there with him, what d’you think?” Minho hesitates, eyes darting around.

“I think,” He starts. “In all the time we’ve been here, no one’s ever killed a Griever before. When I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank stood behind to help Alby.” He looks back at the Greenie. “Look,” He exhales. “I don’t know if he’s brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it. I say we make him a Runner.” Again, the Gladers erupt into chaos.

“A Runner? Minho, let’s not jump the gun here.” Frypan says. Chuck starts chanting.

“Thomas, Thomas, Thomas!” No one notices, and he pouts.

“If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that’s fine.” Gally shouts, quieting the crowd once again. “Go ahead. But if there is _one thing_ that I know about the Maze, it is that you do _not_ \--” A deep horn blares and interrupts him. The Gladers all glance at each other with confused looks on their faces, then burst out of the Homestead.

“Okay, wait, wait… I know that sound.” Thomas says. Cassie frowns.

“Yeah, that’s the Box. But it shouldn’t be arriving until next month.”

“I can’t believe you only have to be a Greenie for one day, klunk-head,” Chuck says as they jog over. Gally and Newt get there first, prying open the top. Newt hops in.

“It’s another girl,” Cassie glances over the edge in disbelief. “I think she’s dead,” Newt says, looking up at the Gladers.

“What’s in her hand?” Gally demands. Newt carefully pries a crumpled piece of paper out of her clenched grip and unfolds it.

“She’s the last one-- ever.” He reads out, then does a double-take. “What the hell does that mean?” Before anyone can answer, the girl gasps and her eyes snap open.

“Thomas,” She pants and her eyes roll back into her head as her breathing slows. Everyone slowly turns to glance at the boy, who is staring at the new girl with a confused look on his face.

“You still think I’m overreacting?” Gally says arrogantly.


	7. (6)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

Newt enters the Medbay, closely followed by Minho and Thomas.

“Jeff, what’s going on?” Newt demands impatiently. The younger boy looks up. “What’s the matter with her? Why won’t she wake up?” He continues.

“Hey, man, I got my job the same way you did.” Jeff says tiredly.

“I think you guys are forgetting the fact that we’re not real doctors.” Clint yells from where he treats Alby. Newt folds his arms and glances at Thomas, who is focused at the comatose girl.

“D’you recognize her?” Thomas shakes his head a little.

“No,” He responds.

“Really? ‘Cause she seemed to recognize you.” Newt says sharply.

“What about the note?” Thomas changes the topic.

“We’ll worry about the note later.” The blond boy says curtly.

“Well, I think you should worry about it now.” Thomas says, oblivious of the fact that Newt is growing more and more irritated by the second.

“We’ve got enough to deal with at the moment.” He says through clenched teeth. 

“Uh-- are you guys done bickering?” Cassie interrupts. “Jeff here has an amazing observation that I’m positive he would _love_ to share with you children.” Jeff glances at her with an unamused expression.

“The Box isn’t coming back up.” He says. “How long do you think we can last?” Newt licks his lips. 

“No one said that. Let’s not jump to any conclusions. We just…” He pauses and looks at the girl. “We’ll just wait until she wakes up, see what she knows. Somebody’s gotta have some answers around here.”

“Okay,” With that, Thomas turns around and starts walking out.

“And where are you goin’?” Newt demands.

“Back into the Maze,” Thomas responds as he walks out the door. Newt motions Minho to follow him. With a roll of his eyes, he jogs out of the Medbay as well. 

* * *

“Cassie,” Minho says.

“No,” The girl responds as she walks toward the Homestead with a bowl of soup.

“Look, this isn’t even my idea! Thomas said--” The boy tries to say.

“I said no, Minho.” She interrupts. “Why would you even want me to go into the Maze? I’m not a Runner, and this soup’s getting cold. If I don’t feed the girl, she’s gonna die. And we don’t want that now do we?” She starts walking even faster. Minho catches up easily.

“Cassie, you’re like the one of the smarter people in the Glade. You think I want to take a Builder with me to look at a dead Griever? With their brains, we’d get nothing done.”

“Minho, I have responsibilities, okay? My job is to take care of the girl.” She says as they walk into the Homestead.

“Why can’t Jeff or Clint do it? It’s only soup, and we’ll only be gone for an hour or so.” She sighs as she puts the bowl on a table.

“Fine,” She says, exasperated. Minho smiles and nods.

“Great, I’ll tell Clint.”

* * *

“Did Minho peer pressure you into coming too?” Cassie asks Frypan through heavy breaths as they jog through the Maze.

“You know it,” He purses his lips.

“Note to self: cardio is _not_ my thing.” Cassie pants as they come to a stop. Sandwiched between two walls is a gory mass of flesh and metal spikes. She wrinkles her nose.

“That’s disgusting,” Zart says.

“If a caterpillar and Edward Scissorhands had a baby, it would look like that.” The girl says. Frypan gives her a weird look.

“Who?” Cassie frowns.

“I have no idea. The name just popped into my head.” Minho shushes them.

“There’s something in there.” Thomas observes. Frypan raises an eyebrow.

“You mean _besides_ a Griever pancake?” He says sarcastically. Minho walks forward, getting a closer look at the dead monster.

“Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing?” Zart asks. Minho stares at him with an unimpressed expression and reaches his arm in between the walls. After a few seconds, a spike jolts, the gears whining. The Gladers scream and back up quickly.

“I thought you said it was _dead_!” Frypan says angrily.

“What-- was it a reflex?” Zart frowns.

“You hope,” Winston says drily. Cassie cracks a shaky smile. She probably aged ten years when the Griever lashed out.

“Okay, let’s try and pull it out.” Thomas says as he grabs the leg. Cassie and Frypan exchange glances, but comply. “Ready? On three: one, two, three!” They yank hard and it pops free, sending Frypan and Thomas sprawling. “You good, Fry?” Thomas asks as he pulls him up.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He grunts. Minho inches towards the Griever, more carefully this time. He reaches down and picks up a piece of flesh with something metal inside. The boy removes the metal contraption from the flesh with a squelch, and the Gladers make various sounds of disgust. Minho holds up a slimy metal canister. The wires are sticking out on one end, and there is a blinking red light next to an LED window with the number 7 on it.

“What the hell is that?” Thomas asks quietly.

“Interesting,” Minho mutters as he wipes his thumb on the surface.

“Okay, whatever it is, can we take this up back to the Glade?” Frypan swallows. “‘Cause I don’t want to meet this guy’s friends.”

“He’s right,” Minho replies. “It’s getting late. C’mon.” Cassie mentally prepares herself for another round of lung torture as they start jogging through the Maze.

* * *

“We found this,” Thomas says to Newt. “It was inside of a Griever.” Newt skims his thumb over the gold sticker that says ‘WCKD’. He frowns.

“These are the same letters we get in our supplies.” Newt looks up.

“Yeah. Whoever put us here obviously made the Grievers.” He pauses. “Now, this is the first clue, the first anything you’ve found in over three years, right Minho?”

“Right,” The boy says hesitantly.

“Newt,” Thomas continues. “We gotta go back out there. Who knows where this might lead us?” The older boy seems to consider it for a second, then meets Gally’s eyes.

“You see what he’s trying to do, right?” Gally scoffs. “First he breaks our rules, and then he tries to convince us to abandon them totally. What-- the rules are the _only_ thing that have held us together. Why now are we questioning that?” He looks down. “If Alby was here, he would agree with me.”

“But he’s not.” Cassie says quietly. Gally ignores her.

“This shank,” He points at Thomas. “He needs to be punished.” Newt glances at Thomas with an unreadable expression on his face.

“You’re right,” He says casually as he hands Minho the metal object. “Thomas broke the rules. One night in the Pit with no food.” Gally’s mouth drops open.

“Oh _come on_ , Newt. One night in the Pit?” He raises his voice. “You-- you think that’s gonna stop him from going into the Maze?”

“No,” Newt says matter-of-factly. “And we can’t have non-Runners runnin’ into the Maze whenever they feel like it. So let’s make this official: Starting from tomorrow, you’re a Runner.” Thomas does a double-take and Minho nods once.

“Wow,” Gally scoffs as he trudges toward the exit.

“Gally--” Frypan tries to stop him. He swats his hand away.

“No, Fry,” He says angrily as he yanks the door open. Frypan offers everyone an apologetic look before darting after him. Thomas stands there, staring at Newt in shock.

“Thanks, Newt.” He finally says. Newt meets his eyes and the corner of his mouth twitches.


	8. (7)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

Also, [this ](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FemaleMasculineAmberpenshell-max-1mb.gif)is probably my favorite part of the movie

* * *

The girl gasps and sits up. Cassie jumps out of her seat and walks toward her.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asks soothingly. “Don’t worry if you can’t remember anything, it’s completely normal--” The raven-haired girl darts out of the Med-bay in a blur. Cassie looks at the now-empty cot for a second in shock, then reacts. “Hey!” She bolts after the girl. The Med-jack bursts out of the Homestead just as the Greenie grabs Winston’s machete from a table. She sprints toward the WatchTower, barely stopping to grab a basket full of fruit from Newt.

“Oi!” He exclaims.

“Stop her!” Cassie yells as she tears past the Gardens. By now, the new girl has made it all the way up the WatchTower and is pelting everyone with fruit and various sizes of wood.

“You had _one_ job, Cassie!” Newt says angrily as he limps up to her.

“Oh _come on_ , Newt! That’s hardly fair!” She retorts. “She was in a _coma_! No one was expecting her to be able to run after waking up-- actually, to be honest, we didn’t know if she was even gonna wake up!”

“Go get Minho and Thomas from the Map Room, then.” Newt fumes. “And take Jeff and Clint!” He yells as she walks away.

* * *

Jeff pounds on the door to the Map Room, then shoves it open. Cassie and Clint catch up to the faster boy, panting and out of breath. Minho shrieks slightly, then resumes being his normal, tough self.

“Hey! You guys aren’t allowed to be in here!” He says, eyes flaring.

“Sorry, it’s just--” Clint pants.

“It’s the girl,” Jeff interrupts.

“What-- is she awake?” Thomas asks. Cassie shrugs.

“I guess you could say that,” She says. The two Runners meet each other’s eyes.

* * *

“Chuck, what’s going on?” Thomas asks as the group returns to the Glade.

“Girls are _awesome_ ,” He laughs as he points at the WatchTower. There, surrounding the tall structure, were the rest of the Gladers, holding various shields over their heads.

“Leave me _alone_!” The new Greenie yells as she launches another round of fruit at the boys.

“Hey-- throw another one of those things--” A piece of fruit hits Gally in the forehead before he can finish his threat. Cassie stifles a snort as she dodges from a stray tomato.

“I don’t think she likes us very much!” Newt ducks under Winston’s shield.

“Yeah, no _shit_ , Sherlock!” Cassie yells back.

“Look, we just want to talk!” Thomas tries to say, but is interrupted by a piece of wood sailing towards him. Frypan blocks it with a clang.

“Take cover, y’all, take cover!” He yelps.

“Hey, hey, hey! It’s Thomas, it’s Thomas!” The boy interjects. The objects stop flying and a head peeks out from the edge of the WatchTower.

“Huh,” Cassie remarks. “I can’t believe that actually worked.”

“I’m gonna come up, okay?” He says cautiously. The girl’s head disappears again. “Okay,” Thomas says to himself, then turns to Gally. “Just me,” Gally narrows his eyes, but nods stiffly. Thomas climbs the ladder slowly, so he doesn’t scare the girl any more. They talk for a few minutes.

“What’s going on up there?” Gally boomed. “Is she comin’ down?” Thomas looks over the edge.

“Listen-- you guys just give us a second, okay?” Thomas answers. Gally rolls his eyes ever so slightly.

“Alright, c’mon,” Newt jerks his head toward the Homestead.

“Man, is this what all girls are like?” Frypan says, rubbing his forehead. Cassie raises an eyebrow.

“Dude, I’m literally right here.”

* * *

“I don’t even know what this stuff _is_.” Newt fumes as he stares at the blue liquid. “We don’t know who sent it, or why it came up with you. For all we know, this thing could _kill him_.” Newt’s voice breaks a little. Cassie stares at the sleek container in her hand. The blue liquid reminds her of the pain medication she gave to Jeff. Shuck, it seemed like a million years ago when Thomas first came up in the Box. She turns it over and is surprised to see the four letters again. WCKD.

“He’s already dying-- look at him.” Thomas argued. “How could this _possibly_ make it any worse?” Alby groans, straining against the restraints.

“Maybe he’s right, Newt.” Cassie says quietly. “I mean, it’s not like he’s gonna get better anytime soon-- why not at least try?” Newt rubs his chin and considers it. 

“Alright,” He finally decides. “Do it.” He hands Thomas the syringe. The boy hovers over Alby’s writhing body and positions the syringe over his bicep. He looks back at the small group.

“Okay,” Thomas exhales. Just as he gets ready to inject Alby with the “cure”, the older boy rips his arms from the restraints and grabs Thomas by the collar. His eyes snap open, and they’re as black as Ben’s. 

“You shouldn’t be here!” He growls through clenched teeth. Newt grabs Thomas by the waist and tries to pull him off, but Alby holds on firmly with an iron-like grip. Cassie and Jeff successfully pry his hands away from Thomas, though the older boy latches on again.

“Get the syringe!” Thomas yells, still flailing around. With a single, axe-like motion, the new girl stabs the crazed boy in the gut. He relaxes almost instantly, going back to sleep.

“Well, that worked.” Jeff pants, looking around. The Gladers breathe heavily, fixing their clothes and side-eyeing Alby.

“Okay-- from now on, someone stays here and watches him around the clock.” Newt says cautiously. Gally enters the Medbay, staring directly at Thomas with an unreadable expression on his face. 

“Sundown, Greenie. Time to go.” He says.

“Well technically, he’s not--” Cassie punches Jeff in the arm before he can say anything else. He winces, then glares at her.

“I’ll take the first watch?” She offers weakly.

“Yeah, you better,” Jeff smirks. “I’m gonna go sleep, have fun!”


	9. (8)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

“Okay, from now on, we’re going to wait for the Runners to come back at the Doors. Can’t risk the Alby incident from happenin’ again.” Newt declares at lunch. “They should be back in…” He checks his watch. “Two minutes, give or take. Alright, let’s go.” The Gladers crowd around the Doors just as Thomas and Minho run out of the Maze, breathless and sweaty. Newt frowns in concern. “Woah, what the hell’s goin’ on out there?”

“Yeah, what the hell have you done now, Thomas?” Gally mocks. Cassie glares at him.

“Just let them talk, Gally.” She says, exasperated. The Runners push past the Gladers.

“We found something, a new passage. We think it could be our way out.” Gally perks up.

“Really?” Newt asks Minho for clarification.

“It’s true. We opened a door-- it was something we’ve never seen before.” He says, not stopping.

“I think it might be where the Grievers go during the day.” Thomas reveals. Chuck pops up in between them.

“Wait-- you’re saying that you found the Grievers’ home? And you want us to go in?” 

“Yeah, I don’t think this is your best idea, Thomas. We should at least think about it, maybe take a vote?” Cassie offers.

“Their way in could be our way out, guys. I’m not wasting this opportunity.” Thomas looks back at Chuck.

“Yeah, that would be great. _Or_ , maybe there could be a dozen Grievers waiting for us on the other side, just itching to tear us apart.” Gally interrupts.

“As much as I would hate to agree with Gally, he’s got a point.” Cassie frowns.

“Yeah,” Gally continues. “And the truth is, Thomas doesn’t know what he’s doing, as usual.” Cassie gives the tall boy an unimpressed look.

“Okay, nevermind. I take it back.” She mutters. Thomas pauses mid-step and spins around. 

“At least I did something, Gally. I mean-- what have _you_ done, huh?” Thomas’s eyes blaze. “I mean, aside from hiding behind these walls all the time.” Gally takes a step closer to Thomas, towering over him.

“Let me tell you something, _Greenie_.” He says quietly. “You’ve been here three days. I’ve been here three _years_ \--”

“Yeah, you’ve been here three years and you’re _still_ here, Gally!” Thomas explodes. “Alright, so what does that tell you, man? Maybe you should start _doing things_ a little differently!”

“Maybe you should be in charge, huh? What about that?” Gally presses.

“Hey!” Teresa yells over their bickering. “It’s Alby-- he’s awake.”

* * *

“Alby,” Newt breathes as he rushes over to his side. The leader of the Glade doesn’t react and keeps staring at the wall, shoulders slumped and a blank look on his face. The second-in-command crouches down and looks his friend in the eye. “Alby, you alright?” He asks softly. Again, he doesn’t respond. Thomas kneels next to Newt.

“Hey, Alby,” He whispers. “We… we might have just found a way out of the Maze.” Alby’s lip quivers. “Do you hear me? We could be getting out of here.” Thomas manages a smile, but Alby shakes his head slightly. Thomas’s smile fades.

“We can't,” His voice breaks. Cassie often forgets that the boy is only nineteen, but he seems so much younger at this moment. “We can’t leave,” His voice trembles. “They won’t let us.” Cassie and Jeff look at each other with confused faces.

“What are you talking about?” Thomas inches closer to Alby. 

“I remember,” Alby croaks out.

“What do you remember?” Thomas presses. Alby turns to look at Thomas with rage in his broken eyes.

“You,” He sneers. “You were always their favorite, Thomas. Why did you do this? Why did you come here?” He says as a tear rolls down his cheek. Outside, Gladers jabber loudly. Thomas stands up, fear evident in his eyes as he backs up to the door. The group follows him.

“Go,” Jeff says to Cassie and Clint. “I’ll take care of Alby.” They nod and run outside.

“Hey, Winston!” Thomas calls out. “What’s going on?” The boy stops and turns around. The torch burns bright, casting a strange shadow on his face.

“It’s the Doors-- they aren’t closing.” He says quickly and darts away. Cassie yanks a torch from out of the ground and heads toward the yawning Doors. A squeal erupts from the gears, causing the Gladers to either cover their ears or wince. A flock of birds squawk as they flap away from the Maze. Then, all four Doors open. The North Door opens first, then the East Door, then the West. 

“What the--” Clint trails off as he looks around.

“Why are all of them opening at once?” Cassie thinks out loud. 

“I don’t know, but whatever’s happening is _not_ good.” Gally mutters. 

“Chuck, go to the Homestead and start barricading the doors and windows.” Thomas says quickly.

“Winston, go with him.” Newt adds.

“Got it,” He replies. “C’mon, Chuck, hurry.” They run off.

“Get the others.” Gally says to the Builders. “Tell them to go into the Deadheads. Go hide, now!” He yells.

“Minho, I want you to go and grab every weapon you can find.” He nods and sprints toward the Map Room.

“Teresa, you and I are gonna go and grab Alby from the Medbay. Jeff’s already there, but we gotta hurry, alright? C’mon.” He grabs her arm, ready to run, but a group of boys start yelling. They sprint away from the West Door, screaming.

“Griever!”

“Go, run!”

“Help me!” Cassie’s blood roars in her ears as she turns around slowly. There, twenty feet in front of her, was a Griever.

“Alright, everybody hide!” Thomas barks, and the Gladers sprint off in different directions. Cassie runs off into the thick corn fields with a Glader, torch in her hand. The Griever is on her heels, digging up dirt with sharp pincers. The boy trips and tumbles into the ground, and the Griever grabs him and flings him into the distance.

“ _No_!” Cassie shrieks as she hurls her torch toward the Griever. Her aim is perfect and the torch hits the Griever right in its face. The monster erupts into flames as Cassie scrambles deeper in the corn. She bursts out the other side, sprinting towards the Homestead. Clint pops his head out of the Homestead, waving his arm frantically.

“Cassie, let’s go!” She runs through the open door and Clint pushes a cot against it.

“Where are the others?” She pants.

“On the other side of the Homestead. They should be--” A Griever tears through the other end of the building. “--right there.” Clint finishes shakily.

“Are you _serious_?” Cassie bolts through the Homestead, dodging hammocks and cots. She makes it out of the other side, Clint right behind her. “There!” The girl points at a small group of Gladers heading toward Council Hall. “C’mon, Clint, let’s go!” They sprint towards the intact building, fires crackling around the two Med-jacks. Cassie hears a distinct clicking from behind her, and pumps her arms faster.

“Cassie!” A weight knocks her to the ground. She hits the grass with a grunt and flips over right as Clint is stabbed through the back by a Griever. The screaming dies down and everything seems to move in slow motion as he smiles softly. “Go,” The older boy mouths as Cassie’s vision blurs. She hears someone scream and wonders if it is her, then scrambles up and stumbles through the door of Council Hall, sobbing and repeating Clint’s name over and over.

* * *

A/N: Ahem. Okay. So you guys probably hate me now, which I understand. But confession time: Since I first wrote Clint’s first line, I knew that he was gonna die. He died saving Cassie’s life, and he was okay with that. And just so you know, my hands are still shaking from writing this chapter.


	10. (9)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

“Holy shit, _Cassie_?” Jeff sputters. “How are you still alive? Where’s Clint?” He looks around and finally notices her slumped shoulders and hair covering her face. The girl just shakes her head, hands trembling. “No,” He says softly, then envelops her in a tight hug.

“He-- he’s gone. Clint’s dead, and it was my fault.” She whispers thickly. 

“Shh, it’s not your fault, it’s okay,” He murmurs. She sobs quietly and feels a wetness on her shoulder. Jeff pulls away and wipes his arm roughly across his face. “You know what he would say?” He gives her a watery smile. “He would probably call us slintheads for crying, then make us go clean out the medicine cabinet.” Cassie’s mouth quirks up and she takes a deep shaky breath and slowly lets it out. Her eyes finally adjust to the darkness and she makes out several people. She sees Thomas, Newt, Teresa, Alby, Minho, and Chuck. She nods at each of them. Thomas opens his mouth to say something, but before he can get a word out, a Griever jumps onto the roof of Council Hall. It rattles around, clicking and whirring as it walks on th Chuck squeaks, and Thomas slaps his hand over his mouth. The Griever stops, and the Gladers all freeze. Then, a metal arm crashes through and grabs Chuck. The boy screams as the Griever yanks him upwards, but Thomas dives for his feet and pulls him back. The Gladers grunt as they each grab either the metal arm or the boy.

“Chuck, don’t let go!” Thomas barks.

“No _shit_!” The younger boy screeches. Alby finds a club and with a deranged scream, starts chopping on the Griever’s arm with quick, precise blows. The claw lets go of Chuck and he falls to the floor, coughing and sniffling. The arm disappears through the hole it created and Alby lets out a triumphant yell.

“Chuck, you okay?” Thomas pants.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He waves Thomas away. “Thanks, Alby.” The older boy nods, a determined look on his face. Cassie sees a flash of metal.

“Alby-- behind you!” She warns, right as the claw reappears and latches onto Alby’s torso. 

“Alby!” Thomas roars. He jumps up and grabs his arm, but is too late. The Griever quickly pulls him halfway through the roof. Before he completely disappears, he focuses on Thomas.

“Get them out,” He strains, and lets go of Thomas’s hand. The younger boy screams in frustration and flies out of their now-destroyed shelter. 

“Thomas, _wait_!” Teresa gasps as she takes off after him. The other Gladers follow. As she makes her way out of Council Hall, Cassie marvels at the burning Glade. The Homestead, now swallowed by flames, is rendered useless. The Kitchens, smashed into dust. The Deadheads are overrun by Grievers, and the WatchTower is in ruins. Gally appears from the smoke, flanked by two of the remaining Builders.

“Gally--” He cocks his fist back and swings, hitting Thomas square in the face. The teenagers erupt into protests.

“Woah!” Frypan, with the help of Minho and Newt, holds Gally back. He wriggles in their hold.

“This is all you, Thomas!” Gally spits. “Look around!”

“Back off, Gally! It’s not his fault!” Cassie interjects.

“You heard what Alby said!” Gally continues, fueled by rage. “He’s one of _them_! They sent him here, and now he’s gonna destroy everything we’ve built!” He points an accusing finger at Thomas. “Look around, Thomas! Look around!” He repeats, still struggling against them. “This is _your fault_!” Thomas glances down at the stinger in Teresa’s hand, the same one Alby chopped off from the Griever’s claw. He grabs it, and holds it up.

“Maybe he’s right.” The boy says quietly.

“Thomas…” Teresa starts, hand inching towards the stinger. Thomas stares at Gally, still being held back.

“I need to remember, Teresa.” He says, then swiftly stabs himself in the leg. He roars in pain.

“Thomas! Thomas, no!” Teresa exclaims. “Cassie, I need the syringe! I need it _now_!” Cassie turns around at the sound of Teresa’s panicked voice, then notices Thomas writhing on the ground.

“Oh my god,” She digs the syringe out of her pocket, yanks the boy’s shirt up, and injects the cure into his abdomen. Thomas relaxes, then passes out.

* * *

“What the _hell_ were you thinking?” Chuck demands as Thomas groggily wakes up in the Pit.

“You could’ve at least warned us!” Cassie adds.

“What happened?” He mutters.

“Gally’s taken control,” Newt says grimly. “Said we had a choice: either join him, or get Banished at sundown with you.

“And the others agreed to that?” Thomas croaks as he sits up. Teresa avoids his eyes and instead focuses on the ground.

“Gally has everyone convinced that you’re the reason this has all happened.” She says quietly.

“Well, he’s been right so far.” Thomas says bitterly. Minho raises an eyebrow.

“What’re you talking about?”

“This place, it’s not what you thought it was.” Cassie glances at Minho, just to make sure that Thomas said what she thought he said. “It’s not a prison-- it’s a test.” He takes a deep breath and starts talking again. “It all started when we were kids. They’d give us these challenges. They were experimenting on us.”

“And by ‘they’ you mean the Creators?” Cassie asks. Thomas nods.

“But then, people started disappearing. Every month, one by one, like clockwork.”

“They were sending ‘em up into the Maze,” Newt realizes. Thomas sighs.

“Yeah… but not all of us.” Newt narrows his eyes.

“What d’you mean?”

“Guys…” Thomas licks his lips. “I’m one of them.” Minho blinks. “The people who put you here-- I worked with them.” He clarifies. “I’ve watched you guys for _years_.” He says in a defeated voice. “The entire time, I was on the other side of it.” He looks at Teresa. “And so were you.”

“What?” She barely whispers.

“Teresa-- we did this to them.” He gestures at the Gladers on the other side of the Pit. The girl shakes her head in disbelief.

“No, that can’t be true.” She says as tears roll down her cheeks. “Why would they send us up if we were with them?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Thomas says dejectedly. 

“He’s right,” Newt interrupts. “It doesn’t matter-- any of it. Because the people we were before the Maze don’t even _exist_ anymore. These Creators took care of that. But what _does_ matter is who we are _now_ and what we do… right now. You went into the Maze and you found a way out.”

“Yeah, but if I hadn’t Alby would still be alive right now.” Thomas swallows.

“Maybe,” Newt says softly. “But I know that if he were here, he would be telling you the exact same thing. Pick your arse up and finish what you started. ‘Cause if we do nothing, that means Alby died for nothing, and I can’t have that.” Thomas looks up with newfound determination.

“Okay, but we gotta get through Gally first.” Minho smirks.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is kind of a filler (I think?) but there will be two or three more chapters in this book until it’s over. Then, it’s gonna be Scorch Trials time! Yay, Cranks galore! (That was supposed to be sarcastic, by the way.)


	11. (10)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

“This is such a waste.” Gally says as he stuffs some ropes in his pocket. He glances at the Builders holding Thomas and Teresa at the Doors.

“Then why are you doing it?” Cassie asks. Gally’s head snaps up.

“This doesn’t seem right, man.” Winston says.

“Yeah, what if Thomas is right? Maybe he can lead us home.” Jeff adds. Gally walks up to them slowly.

“We _are_ home, okay?” His face is covered in dirt and he has a permanent scowl. “I don’t wanna have to cross _any_ more names off that Wall.”

“You _really_ think Banishing us is gonna solve anything?” Teresa snaps. Gally turns to look at her.

“No. This isn’t a Banishing-- it’s an offering.” Teresa’s eyes go wide. A Builder shoves her against a wooden pole and ties her hands to it. Teresa struggles against the bonds.

“Wait, Gally! What are you doing?” She panics. Minho steps forward, ready to beat Gally into a pulp, but Cassie’s arm shoots out and blocks him. 

“Not yet,” She mutters. Minho’s jaw clenches but he stays still.

“You really think I’m gonna let Thomas back into the Maze after what he’s done?” Gally says as rage overtakes him. “Look around you. Look at our Glade.” He points to the smoldering mess behind them. “This is the _only_ way.” While Gally is distracted, New rubs his chin and makes eye contact with Minho and Cassie, who nod, understanding the message. “-- And when the Grievers get what they came here for…” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Everything goes back to the way it was.” No one notices Chuck rushing back from the Map Room, his arms full of supplies.

“Are you listening to this? Why are you all standing there? He’s crazy!” Teresa sounds close to tears. Cassie had to admit, her acting was good.

“Can you shut up?” Gally sighs. She keeps going.

“If you stay here, the Grievers are going to come back.” Cassie could tell Teresa was winning them over. “They’re gonna come back and they’re gonna keep coming back until you’re all dead!” Gally finally loses his patience and bursts.

“Shut up!” He points to Thomas. “Tie him up!” When the two Gladers don’t move, he repeats himself. “Do you hear me? I said tie him up!” He orders. Thomas, who is pretending to be unconscious, lets himself be lifted up to his knees. Then, he elbows one of the guards in the gut and takes his pole. He knocks the other guard out with a swing of the spear. Newt unsheathes his machete and hits the Glader in front of him in the back of the head with the butt of the weapon. Cassie elbows an unsuspecting boy in the back of his neck, and when he drops like a sack of potatoes, she steals his spear. Teresa kicks a boy where the sun doesn't shine, and Minho sets his knife on Gally’s shoulder. He turns around in fear and Minho smirks. With a slash of a kitchen knife, Frypan sets Teresa free and joins the others in front of the Doors.

“Full of surprises, aren’t you?” Gally asks rhetorically. 

“You don’t have to come with us, but we _are_ leaving.” Thomas says, holding out the spear without wavering. “Anyone else who wants to come, now’s your last chance.” He says to the rest of the Gladers.

“Don’t listen to him, he’s just trying to scare you!” Gally says as some of his companions shift around.

“No, I’m not trying to scare you. You’re already scared. I’m scared.” He pauses. “But I’d rather risk my life out there than spend the rest of it in here.” Thomas grits his teeth and continues. “We don’t belong here. This place? It isn’t our home. We were put here. Okay? We’re _trapped_ here.” His voice cracks. “At least out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here-- I know that.” Jeff and Winston look at each other, take a deep breath, and join Thomas.

“Sorry, Gally.” Jeff whispers as he walks past them and stands next to Cassie. Slowly, more and more Gladers join them, until only Gally and his Builders are left.  
“It’s over, Gally.” Thomas says as he finally drops his spear. “Just come with us.” Gally seems to consider it for a moment, staring straight into Thomas’s eyes, but his pride overrules him. 

“Good luck against the Grievers.” He finally says.

“You too.” Cassie says as she turns around and follows the Gladers deep into the Maze for the second time in her life.

* * *

“I had no idea the Maze was this big.” Chuck swivels his head around as they run through the labyrinth.

“Yeah, well, it was designed to keep us trapped in the Glade, so…” Cassie trails off. As they turn yet another corner, Thomas freezes, then shoves everyone back around.

“Is it another Griever?” Chuck asks quietly. Thomas tries to keep his calm composure for the sake of the boy.

“Yeah,” He breathes out. Cassie grips her spear a little tighter

“Take this, Chuck.” Minho hands him the Griever key. “Stay behind us.” Teresa ties her hair up.

“It’s okay, just stick with me.” She says kindly. Thomas looks up, glancing at each and every Glader.

“Once we’re through, it’ll activate and the door will open.” He says quickly. “We stay close, we stick together, and we’ll get through this. We get out now, or we die trying.” Cassie frowns and tilts her head to the side.

“Okay, that’s morbid. Anyone else want to try? Minho?” He blinks and points to himself.

“Me?”

“No, the other Minho. Yes, you, talk!” Cassie waves her hand, signaling him. 

“Uh-- be careful. And don’t die.” He says it like a question, unsure of himself.

“Great, we’re all bloody inspired.” Newt rolls his eyes. Thomas gives a determined nod.

“Let’s go!” He lets out a battle cry as the Gladers charge toward the Griever. The monster turns around and starts crawling towards the teenagers, and they meet halfway. The Griever screeches as the Gladers stab it in its flesh. The Griever snatches up a boy and flings him over the edge, roaring as it welcomed its next opponent. It bumps into Chuck sending the key flying.

“The key!” The boy screams as he sprints towards it.

“Chuck, watch the edge!” Teresa yells at him. Cassie ducks under a swinging metal leg and swings at it fiercely with her spear.

“I’ll distract it. Teresa, go help him!” She orders as she starts stabbing at the Griever’s knee. Teresa darts off and Cassie looks behind her to make sure they’re still alive. Big mistake. The Griever sweeps her legs from under her and the girl falls onto the hard, concrete ground. She groans and rolls away, getting on her hands and knees. A pincer lands right where she was a second earlier. She stands up and grabs her spear, then reenters the fight.

“Push it over the edge!” Newt yells at the Gladers. They quickly all move to one side, then force the Griever over, sending it tumbling into the abyss. Just as they finally take a breath, two more Grievers start chasing Teresa and Chuck.

“We got more coming!” Chuck shrieks as they sprint toward the rest of the Gladers.

“Go, go! We’ll hold them off!” Cassie yells. They let the two of them through, then make a human wall to stop the Grievers from coming closer. Cassie clenches her jaw and sets her feet. _For Clint_. With a scream, the Gladers attack the Grievers. Cassie slashes and stabs, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The door opens up behind her.

“Keep pushing, we can do this!” Thomas says as yet another Glader is flung over the edge.

“Thomas!” Teresa gets his attention. “There’s a code! We need eight numbers!” He turns around again and thrusts his spear into a Griever’s throat.

“Hey, Minho!” He grunts as he brings his spear down on a flailing pincer. “What’s the sequence?”

“Huh?” The boy responds.

“The sections of the Maze!” Thomas repeats. “What’s the sequence?” Understanding flashes across Minho’s face.

“Seven! One!” He calls out. “Five, two, uh-- six, four!” A Griever drops from the ceiling above, and knocks Minho down. His face scrunches up in fear as he holds his spear up, blocking the Griever from snapping at his face. Jeff lets out a desperate cry as he launches his spear straight into the monster’s face sending it scuttling backwards and over the edge.

“Nice shot!” Cassie exclaims in shock. Jeff grabs Minho under the shoulders and lifts him up onto his feet.

“Six, four!” Minho repeats. “Eight! Three!” Newt freezes and his face pales as he looks at the four Grievers towering over him.

“C’mon, get inside!” Cassie yanks him through the doorway. The dial dings pleasantly and flashes green as large stone slabs start slamming down, smashing the Grievers and locking the Gladers in for good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to add the iconic scene from the books, so go me! (Yes, I know it was in the Death Cure movie, but I already know that Cassie’s not gonna be in that specific scene with them so I’m not gonna write that part down. Also, yes, she’s in the Death Cure, no, she’s not dead, she’s just not with Newt, Thomas, and Minho.)


	12. (11)

Disclaimer: I (obviously) don't own The Maze Runner movie or book. If I did, Cassie would be in it.

* * *

The room is dark and silent except for the sounds of heavy breathing.

“Is everyone okay?” Cassie asks softly. The Gladers respond with various forms of confirmation. Dim lights flicker on, and Cassie spots a door that looked like it didn’t quite belong there. She grabs the cold metal handle, turns it, and pushes it open with no hesitation. The door leads to a futuristic laboratory, but something is off. The lights spark, there is broken glass everywhere, and the monitors are glitching. The surviving Gladers glance around, wary of Grievers. Thomas looks down and sees a button. His hand shakes as he inches towards it. Before he can change his mind, the boy presses down on it. A screen on the other side flashes and an older woman with a lab coat and a tight bun says. Her lipstick is dark and her face looks unforgiving, yet warm at the same time.

“Hello,” She says. “My name is Doctor Ava Paige. I’m Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Experiment. If you’re watching this, that means you’ve successfully completed the Maze Trials.” The Gladers pause and walk slowly toward the monitor. “I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you, but circumstances seem to have prevented it.” Behind the woman, scientists also in white lab coats rush around. “I’m sure by now, you must all be very confused… angry… frightened.” Although her voice is soothing, her face remains expressionless. “I can assure you that everything that’s happened to you, everything we’ve done to you-- it was all done for a reason. You won’t remember, but the sun has scorched our world.” The woman’s face is replaced by an image of the sun over an ocean, the heat waves flickering and making the image appear distorted. It switches over to several videos of burning buildings. “Billions of lives lost to fire, famine… suffering on a global scale.” The woman continues in a voice-over. “The fallout was unimaginable.” Another picture of a wrinkled, dead body appears. Cassie inhales sharply.

“But what came after was worse. We called it the Flare.” Black, veiny worm-like things attack healthy cells at impossibly fast rates. Another video appears, someone’s infected brain being picked apart. Cassie tears her eyes away from the screen, instead staring at a sparking light fixture in the corner of the room. “The Flare is a deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable, incurable. Or so we thought.” Cassie’s eyes flicker back to the video.

“In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure.” She takes a breath. “But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand what makes them different. What makes _you_ different.

“You may not realize it, but you’re very important. Unfortunately, the Trials have only just begun. As you’ll soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods.” Behind Doctor Paige, the scientists start to panic, heading for the stairs. Some are shot down. But the doctor never flinches. She keeps talking. “Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us… for me, but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember…” She pulls out a gun and holds it to her temple as the glass wall behind her splinters. “WCKD is good.” She pulls the trigger, and a bang sounds across the room. The video cuts abruptly, returning to the black screen it was before. Behind the Gladers, a door hisses and slides open.

“Is it over?” Chuck asks timidly. Newt frowns.

“She said we were important.” He says. “Well, what’re we supposed to do now?” Thomas lets out a shaky breath.

“I- I don’t know.” He mutters. “But, let’s get out of here.” He takes a step.

“No,” A voice says behind the survivors. Cassie whips her head around. There, standing in front of them, was Gally.

“Gally?” Thomas swallows.

“Don’t!” Teresa grabs his arm. “He’s been stung.” The Keeper of the Builders looks terrible. His eyes are bottomless pits, and his face is scrunched up as if he is about to cry.

“We can’t leave,” His hand shakes, and Cassie spots a small gun clenched in his hand. Her blood turns to lead. Thomas’s eyes flicker down, and he spots the weapon as well. He chooses his next words carefully.

“We did,” He says as steadily as he can. “Gally, we’re out. We’re free.” The older boy scoffs. 

“Free?” Tears roll down his cheeks. “You think we’re free out there?” He sniffles. “No-- no. There’s no escape from this place.” He lifts up the gun. Although his voice is shaky, his arm is not. Thomas flings his hands up, as if to protect himself.

“Gally,” Cassie chokes out. “Gally, it’s okay. Put it down.”

“Listen. You’re not thinking straight.” Thomas adds. “You’re not, and we can help you. Just put down the gun.” He ends with a whisper. Beside him, Minho grips his spear tightly.

“I belong to the Maze.” Gally says, still holding the gun up.

“Just put down the gun.” Thomas repeats.

“We all do.” He pulls the trigger. Minho launches the spear at Gally, and it goes straight through his chest and out the other side. Gally wheezes and falls to his knees. He claws at his chest, then collapses on his side. 

“Thomas--” Chuck says as the older boy touches his torso, waiting for the blood to bloom. He looks at Chuck, confused for a second, then sees the dark red liquid spreading quickly under his collar bone. It stains his cream-colored shirt and he falls into Thomas’s arms.

“No, no!” Thomas says as he shakily tries to apply pressure to the wound. “Shit, Chuck, look at me! Look at me!” He repeats, sobbing now. Cassie’s hand flies up to her mouth in horror. The youngest Glader grips Thomas’s forearm.

“Thomas,” He says calmly, then blood dribbles out of his mouth. The boy is still shaking, muttering unintelligibly. “Thomas!” He says a little more loudly. Thomas stops and stares at him. Chuck digs his hands into his pocket and brings out a little figure. He puts it in Thomas’s hand and closes his fingers around it.”

“No, Chuck, you’re gonna give it to them yourself. Remember I told you that.” Thomas tries to shove it back, but Chuck holds on tight.

“Take it,” He whispers with his last breaths. Thomas does. “Thank… you--” He breathes and goes still.

“Chuck?” Thomas says quietly. No response. “Chuck? C’mon!” He says a little louder. He shakes the little boy by the shoulders, but Chuck’s eyes still stare blankly at the ceiling above them. “Cassie, Jeff, do something! You’re Med-jacks, why can’t you do something! Help him!” He yells at them, but they only shake their heads with tears streaming down their faces. “Help him,” His voice cracks and he starts sobbing, clutching the front of Chuck’s bloodstained shirt. “No, Chuck, we made it, come on.” His scratchy voice echoes throughout the room.

A gate cracks open on the other side of the tunnel, and light streams in the room, but Cassie only sees blobs.

“C’mon, we gotta go!” One of them says to her, and she moves sluggishly, as if she were running through syrup. They burst through the small door and enter a landscape completely different than the Glade. The land is barren and covered in sand. The wind whistles and threatens to knock Cassie down, but she keeps running until she sees a blurry black helicopter.

“Get in!” A person shoves her in the helicopter, and she tumbles towards the back. Jeff pulls her to a sitting position as more Gladers pile into the vehicle. When the last one, Thomas, is safe, their saviors shut the door. One man pulls off his face mask.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe now!” He yells over the chopping sound of the helicopter blades. They rise, and Cassie looks out the window to see her home of three years get smaller and smaller as she prepares herself for whatever comes next.

“Relax. Everything’s going to change.” The man says with a reassuring nod.

* * *

“Well,” Doctor Ava Paige says as she dabs at her temple with a stained white rag. She sets the rag down and takes off her lab coat. “I think it’s safe to say the Maze Trials were a complete success.” She puts the coat on the back of her chair and looks at each one of her colleagues in the eye. “I wasn’t expecting so many survivors, but the more the merrier.” She sighs. “Thomas continues to surprise and impress, and for now, they have seemed to take the bait.” She pauses and continues. “It’s too soon to say, but they could be the key to everything. So let’s move forward. It’s time to begin Phase Two.” She says with a smile.

* * *

**_End of Book 1_ **


End file.
